Robin the Harvest Mouse

[Vectis Hamstery]

Some of you may remember my sneaky intro of Robin Goodfellow, a little harvest mouse that snuck home with me from Houten. He's a fascinating little character and we love watching each other! He is so agile and acrobatic which he shows off when exploring his new toys:
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I was going to keep his cage natural looking, but as with the natural phase I went through with the hamsters it hasn't lasted! He loves his mini silent spinner, millet sprays and mealworms (and even got a cricket that escaped). When the weather was hot, he also tucked into a little frozen broccoli with relish!
http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/ac323/vectishams/Robin%20Goodfellow/4cdf80fe.jpg

[Silver]

That is so relaxing watching the video. He is gorgeous! Daft question coming up!

Now mice smell more than dwarf hams, do these little guys smell the same as a fancy mouse?

Silver xxx

[Vectis Hamstery]

Harvest mice don't smell like male fancy mice do. It's not a daft question - it was one of the first I asked my exotics friends when I was contemplating getting one.

He eats my diabetic hamster mix as it has lots of seeds and mealies which they like. I've snuck him the odd bit of baby food or chicken when the hams have it (although it wasn't in any of the info I read!) and he enjoys it, even if he is a messy eater. He has soft hay and a dried herb mix on top of the aubiose and in his nest areas. If you want more harvest mouse info (or any other exotic mammal info, for that matter) the Crittery website (http://crittery.co.uk/species/specieshub.php#) is a wealth of useful facts.

[Silver]

Some times when you ask if a animal smells you get that sigh & the answer is all animals smell! lol

I do not know why but I am very sensative to smells. My Boy Joe's wee when he reached adult could knock you out!. Could of been because he smelt girl hams in the room. Where as my girl dwarfs I could not smell at all untill they reached 2 years & then it was nothing much.

Thank You so much Vectis for the link I will enjoy looking through it, just scanned it & read they are virtually odour less bingo!.

How do you get on with cleaning them out?. how often do you do it & can you catch him easily as they are so agile.

Silver xxx

[Kissa]

Okay, he is adorable and I kind of want one :lol:

[Vectis Hamstery]

He gets a full cleanout every month and a partial clean every 2 weeks. He is a speedy little chap and he wasn't handled as a young mouse as he wasn't intended to be a pet. He hops into a small box with hemp seeds in (it's a cardboard box that a mug came in which I cut a small hole in one side!). I cover the opening and transfer him into a carrier. I handle him over the carrier, though I have to watch as he's so adept at climbing up my arms in the blink of an eye.

[Silver]

LOL

Can imagine he will be up your arms if he could. Thank You Vectis

Silver xxx

[Kissa]

Sounds like trying to handle a smaller, better at climbing Robo to me :lol:

[Call me Alison]

he's lovely!!

i have 4 female fancy mice ( 2 in each tank)

i spot clean them and a full clean every week and i'm not joking for little animals they really STINK!

i was wondering if you could please give me any advice as to reduce the stink lol

xxx

[Vectis Hamstery]

I'm afraid I don't keep fancy mice, just the one harvest mouse. Perhaps a mouse forum could help you, like Mice are Nice?

[Queen Of The High Teas]

Aww Vectis you are so lucky to have him! I used to have one and have been completely unable to get another. Mine was a really sweet little guy, very friendly and would run to the top of the tank and onto your hand. He didn't bite and enjoyed being cuddled. They are so amusing to watch and make no noise whatsover, a perfect bedroom pet. They're also an ideal lazy persons pet as they should only be cleaned out every 4 months!!

And msalisoncaroll Harvest mice do not smell at all, they are nothing like fancy mice, mine didn't even smell when the 4 month cage clean time was up. As to your fancy mice, I'm afraid you wont do much about the smell - it is one of the downsides to keeping mice! Fortunately girls don't smell as bad as boys but they're still pretty whiffy compare to hamsters or gerbils. I had males once and dear god they stank the entire shed out!! I had 20 odd creatures in there at the time and none of them smelled anywhere near as bad as these 4 little mice! I used to have to change my clothes and go shower as soon as I came from there cos the smell just clings to your clothes. I tried everything possible to get rid of it, clean cage, leave cage, freshners, air globe, disinfectant, cage granules, you name it I tried it - and none of it worked which is why I dont keep mice anymore.

[p_anda]

I do remember him, he's adorable. :)

Is he doing okay on his own? Or is it only females that are social?

[LoveMyHams]

Aww, that's one spoiled little mousie!

[Queen Of The High Teas]

I do remember him, he's adorable. :)

Is he doing okay on his own? Or is it only females that are social?

Generally yes. Males can fight, and they can get pretty nasty if they do. Mine lived alone as attempts to introduce other mice failed, he even fought with his brother who was originally in the tank with him, til the store split them up.

[Vectis Hamstery]

Robin's a happy chappy alone. I spoke to two friends who are experienced with exotic rodents including harvest mice who advised keeping just one male. Since the mice were kept in mixed sex tanks I chose a male as I only wanted one not a whole huggin of meecers!

[Mikayla]

Robin's a happy chappy alone. I spoke to two friends who are experienced with exotic rodents including harvest mice who advised keeping just one male. Since the mice were kept in mixed sex tanks I chose a male as I only wanted one not a whole huggin of meecers!

Can you imagine sexing them? O.O

[Vectis Hamstery]

It's fairly obvious he's a chap when he sits facing the other way ... :)

[Mikayla]

It's fairly obvious he's a chap when he sits facing the other way ... :)

Haha! I can't imagine someone coming to see your fluffies... :)

[GhostsInSnow]

Awwwh he's so gorgeous! I love harvest mice ^_^

[p_anda]

I love the new hanging toy btw. :)

I have to admit, I have only seen pictures/videos of harvest mice in colonies, but it's good to know they can live alone! That actually makes it more attractive to me to own one...

[Vectis Hamstery]

Robin had some time out in the revamped playbox today while I was cleaning his cage (it has a meshed roof now!). He enjoyed his spin in the Wodent Wheel so much that I struggled to get him out of it

"The wheel's not too big... I'm the big bad mouse!"
http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/ac323/vectishams/Robin%20Goodfellow/L1170820.jpg

Robin's rearranged cage:
http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/ac323/vectishams/Robin%20Goodfellow/L1170826.jpg
(his wheel is still in there, just hidden at the back)

[Silver]

AWWWWW

He look's so small in the wheel. Is he getting more used to you now?. I know they are just a watch pet really than a have contact with pet.

Silver xxx

[Petite1]

didnt know you could keep field mice as pets?

[Vectis Hamstery]

Robin is a harvest mouse, rather than a field mouse. He is from European captive-bred stock - I believe UK release programmes use British stock rather than European. Plus Robin is far too used to humans and his creature comforts such as food arriving in a bowl! They aren't common as pets as they are classed as exotic rodents. Crittery has more info about keeping them: Harvest Mice Overview - Crittery Exotics (http://crittery.co.uk/hmice/hmice.php#)

Silver, he will stand on my hand and doesn't dash away from me, but isn't a cuddly man. I don't think I'd trust him for cuddles as he does have a fab turn of speed! He had a bit of a hissy fit when I moved him from the lounge to the hamster room and needed a water bowl and soft food for a few days to perk him up. Too much of a diva for the wild!

[Silver]

:mad:

He sounds such a character!. I think with all animals they will get used to the person who is around them the most.

But I understand he is super charged & once off I don't know if you could get him back

Silver xxx

[Susie]

Awh he's such a cutie pie :)

[shiny]

Lovely pics of Robin, what a teeny boy for such a big wheel - how cute :)

[Vectis Hamstery]

His normal wheel is the mini silent spinner - it may be small for a robo but is perfect for a teeny harvest mouse (though perhaps there's not a large market for that!).

[septemberpeach]

gorgeous! and what a great set-up! This made me smile, thanks. x

[shiny]

No, I can't imagine there's that many harvest mice owners out there! His cage set-up is so much more climbing-orientated than our hammie cages, I bet he practically runs up vertical surfaces. What a lovely little man :)

[HollyHamster]

Ah. A male harvest mouse. I've read this thread through and have some advice about keeping a male mouse of any species as I've unexpectedly done so in the past (rescued a REW male fancy mouse I named Algernon from the clutches of the neighbor's cat).

You've noticed the smell by now. Its Robin's musk. All male mice have this and use it to mark their territory. Depending on who you are, and the mouse in question, it can vary from smelling like peanuts, to being outright foul. Cleaning the cage less often rather than more often helps reduce the smell, as well as adding a drop of vanilla extract to their water bottle.

Sadly, my mother wasn't to keen on the smell and had Algernon banished to the garage. He lived there for about a year and a half before he finally succumbed to a growth on his spine, which left him paralyzed from the waist down during his last month alive.

You are right to keep him by himself as male mice are highly territorial and will fight viciously for their own territory. Females are more social and can be kept in groups, which is actually recommended as they enjoy the company.

[Vectis Hamstery]

Robin's a harvest mouse (Micromys minutus), not a fancy mouse (Mus musculus) :) Male harvest mice don't smell although I appreciate that their fancy mouse counterparts do have a certain aroma as I too have encountered them. My five female fancy mice smell more than little Robin. I understand that male harvest mice can live together more easily than fancy mice from my friends who are experienced with the species, but can fall out spectacularly which is why I choose to keep Robin alone. My local wildlife park keeps groups of harvest mice which are enchanting, but Robin isn't very harvest mouse-like in behaviour (perhaps because of his early life, e.g he nests on the floor) so I wouldn't want to risk introducing him to a real harvest-mousey mouse!

[AnimalMadCait]

nawwww bless him. are they hard to get hold of? (breeders etc) x

[Vectis Hamstery]

His cage set-up is so much more climbing-orientated than our hammie cages, I bet he practically runs up vertical surfaces. What a lovely little man :)
I found this pic of Robin from a few months ago to give you an idea of his size and climbing skills:
http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/ac323/vectishams/Robin%20Goodfellow/L1150730.jpg
He's climbing up the stalk of a millet spray! It's the clearest pic I've managed to get of him climbing as he's such a speedy little man.

nawwww bless him. are they hard to get hold of? (breeders etc) x
II think finding ethical exotics breeders can be challenging as many are not intended to be kept as pets or are bred for profit. I've seen harvests for sale for £15 each on preloved before (not that I'd advocate preloved as a way of finding a purpose-bred animal ;) ). There isn't a club as such for exotics. BEMA (British Exotic Mammals Association) has been established but is still in its infancy. I got Robin from a reptile and rodent show in Holland, though he wasn't intended as a pet hence why he has some slightly atypical behaviours for a harvest mouse.

[shiny]

Wow - look at him on the millet! He must weigh such a teeny amount. Lovely pic :)

[strawberrysmom]

So cute!!!!! Makes me miss mice in general again.

[September]

He's adorable! Can I ask where you got the name Robin Goodfellow??

[Vectis Hamstery]

I saw him zooming about his cage and was reminded of Puck from A Midsummer's Night Dream - "I shall put a girdle round the Earth in forty minutes". Puck's closing speech was always a favourite of mine and the line "now to 'scape the serpent's tongue" was also very apt for my little man. He didn't look like a Puck so I chose Puck's other name. Tis a lot of name for a little man but he certainly lives up to it!

[Vectis Hamstery]

I've been looking for a cage upgrade for Robin for a while and picked one up last week. I decided to go for a more natural set up (apart from his two favourite toys as I'd be in trouble if I ditched those!). He's got a water bowl rather than bottle too as he was fiddling with the bottle quite a lot and is getting to be an older mouse so I wondered if he was struggling to work it. I found a lovely woven cone in B&Q today which was advertised as a birds' nest - so perfect for a Robin!
http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/ac323/vectishams/Robin%20Goodfellow/L1180582_zps89141164.jpg
Robin loves his food and is still sitting in his food bowl as I type! He's getting rather plump so hasn't had his millet spray this week.
http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/ac323/vectishams/Robin%20Goodfellow/L1180577_zps4daf5623.jpg
"Plump? Me? I'm just cuddly. How can you say no millet to this face?"
http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/ac323/vectishams/Robin%20Goodfellow/L1180579_zpsbd4bc34d.jpg

[Silver]

Oh he is beautiful,

Meanie mummy Give Robin back his millet spray! :p

His tank look's lovely what make is it Vectis?

Silver xxx

[Vectis Hamstery]

It's a komodo. I would have preferred exo terra due to both doors opening and a larger substrate retaining wall at the front (in case I wanted to use it for a different creature), but ones of the right size just weren't available near me and at £11 I couldn't pass this one up! I do like the added ventilation panel in the side though.

[Silver]

I have to say it look's very posh. What a bargain!!!

Silver xxx

[shiny]

wow £11 is a great bargain & Robin is looking very handsome :)

[DrKMcK]

That face is just adorable. Personally, I've never understood people's reaction to rodents. My mother used to literally jump on top of tables screaming at the top of her lungs because of a mouse. She hated my gerbils and hammys. Thank god for my dad! :-D Robin Goodfellow was a master of trickery. Neat how your Robin climbs the millet branch.

[Vectis Hamstery]

Robin says thanks:
http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/ac323/vectishams/Robin%20Goodfellow/L1180789_zps92983795.jpg
He's enjoying being back next to the ratties and persuaded me into giving him a millet spray:
http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/ac323/vectishams/Robin%20Goodfellow/L1180813_zps59bff26b.jpg
And here's my wooden Robin, given to me by a friend. He lives on top of Robin's house
http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/ac323/vectishams/Robin%20Goodfellow/L1180811_zpsbbefa264.jpg

[Silver]

AWWWWWWWWWWWWW

Bless his little paws I am pleased the looks he gave you worked & he got his millet spray back.

I love his house what size is that one Vectis, sorry I'm always asking you questions

xxx

[Vectis Hamstery]

It's around 45 x 45cm. I don't have my tape measure to hand!

[Silver]

lol

Don't worry Vectis that's good enough for me. I love the look of the Komodo

xxx

[Queen Of The High Teas]

Robin's a harvest mouse (Micromys minutus), not a fancy mouse (Mus musculus) :) Male harvest mice don't smell although I appreciate that their fancy mouse counterparts do have a certain aroma as I too have encountered them. My five female fancy mice smell more than little Robin. I understand that male harvest mice can live together more easily than fancy mice from my friends who are experienced with the species, but can fall out spectacularly which is why I choose to keep Robin alone. My local wildlife park keeps groups of harvest mice which are enchanting, but Robin isn't very harvest mouse-like in behaviour (perhaps because of his early life, e.g he nests on the floor) so I wouldn't want to risk introducing him to a real harvest-mousey mouse!

Vectis, apparently they only climb to weave nests if there's more than one, which is why your Robin makes his on the floor. It's something I found out when I had my Harvey and couldn't work out why he wasn't making the hay I gave him into a ball nest high up.

nawwww bless him. are they hard to get hold of? (breeders etc) x

cait look on exotic keepers forum, there's breeders on there. Also reptile forum UK under the domestics classifieds.

[Vectis Hamstery]

Interesting - thanks, Wobbles.

[littlefeet]

You have to remember also that in the wild harvest mice would be on the ground this time of year. They make the nests in the breeding season.
I have 2 harvest mice and they have made their bed on the tank floor. I am hoping they will make a harvest mouse nest when the weather warms up and they breed. I suppose it will largely depend on what nesting material i can find for them. They currently have hay and straw, but if i can get hold of corn stalks, or even elephant/pampas grass, they may build a nest.